#WorldGovSummit: Welcome to Internet of Things, says Ahmad bin Bayat

Ahmad bin Bayat, Chairman Du, spoke about how the UAE has achieved phenomenal growth in the last four decades. “Leadership in technology has taken us from hibernation to imagination”

Talking about the impact of technology and the power of the internet, he said, “Today we know a lot about taking risks and being agile. Welcome to the internet of things!”

Elaborating further, Bayat said, “Today we have 13 million devices connected. Very soon it will grow to 30-plus billion devices. Imagine all these devices collecting and disseminating data, which will be sued to make cities smarter.”

Citing a recent example of the Address fire, Bayat said, “A small faulty condenser’s spark erupted in a blaze. Had this fire being elsewhere, it would not have attracted any attention. But the fact that it was close to the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, and on the eve of the New Year, the blaze was also telecast.

Over 1,000 services

The UAE has become a hub for trade and commerce, for investment capital, for people, ideas and now for information technology. Many bold and courageous initiatives have been launched,” Bayat said.

“We are aware of the concerns with regards to privacy of data. Our governance is deeply committed to use this secure data for the benefit of citizens. There is growing digital maturity in this country,” he explained.

The vision of our leadership has taken us so far and now we plan to take it further. “The city of Dubai is planning to launch more than 1,000 services in the next three years. Data generated through so many connected devices is knowledge. It helps us take better decisions,” he added.

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